Welcome to My Gentle Threads! It is a New Year and a time for New Creative Beginnings! This year I am entering my seventh year on my blog and I thank you for being here! I'm excited to share my creative walk with you in my sacred space. Life is all about the journey we walk each and every day. I love sharing my artistic moments, thoughts and adventures with you here! I wish you peace and light in your life!

"never get it all done"and forget getting anything creative done right now!!!

Yet there is so much magic and beauty

all around us

if only we will take a look and see!

I wanted so much to let this be

the holiday that I didn't stress to get it all done,

that I slowed down to bake the cookies,

that I stepped lightly through it all,

that I enjoy my grandchildren,

wrap the presents

and watch every holiday

Hallmark movie

I could!So far ... so good!

I think I've done thatand with a strangely sense of calm.I am just writing to remind youthat YOU CAN control how you act,how you feel and how rushed you choose to be.Each holiday is truly made ofthe effort you put into it!Return to self, return to calm,return to simplicity.Let your holiday season beone that is filled with accomplishments,love for one another,and a sense of wonder.Enjoy the little things ...hot chocolate ... hot apple cider,24 hour holiday music channels,smiles you receive from others,decorations you pull out of the attic every year,gaudy holiday lights in your neighborhood,cards in the mail from friends and family,ornaments on your tree that bring back fond memories,Christmas Eve traditions,making homemade giftsand oh so much more ....

Christmas time in Edenton, NCFor me it will be celebrating my lifewith two precious grandchildren!Loving my family to overflowing,having time off to enjoy and soak it all in.Truly recognizing how blessed it all is!

My little Annabelle and GraysonI wish you peace and joyI wish you healthI wish you a happy heartI wish you creativity in whatever form that is for youI wish you a happy point of viewI wish you joy ... for it is truly a giftHappy Holiday Seasonfrom me to you!With love and gratitude,Donna Lee

I knew I wanted to have Annabelle paint the background
and I would draw a Mandala on top of her play,
how fun was that!
I think I will have a keepsake for a very long time!
I already have ideas for future projects!
My little grandson Grayson is too little just now,
but I see some creativity in his future too!

Collaborating with others can bring
a new meaning to your own artwork.
It could be in writing, journaling or in painting.
I have had the gift of collaborating with friends
in Mandala work, Poetry and Mixed Media work,
how lucky I've been!
Is there someone you would love to work with
and create a collaborative piece?

Give it a try, you won't be disappointed!
I'm always open to a new challenge if you
decide to look my way!!!

Sketchbook Skool,
and have fallen in love
with sketching and watercolor!
I am observing the world all around me.
I participated in another gathering ofLove Notes Project,

I attended the amazing

Squam in the City,

in Providence, RI,
and was able to reconnect with
amazing and precious friends,

I cut my work week

down to three days a week

but most important of all ...

My second grandchild was born,

Grayson Blake Wynn!

So my life is amazingly and wonderfully full!
Being a Grandmom really rocks!
I have so much I want to share with Annabelle and Grayson.

I think I have my hands full!

With fall comes a time to slow down,

appreciate the season change,

it is truly my favorite time of year.

I gave to myself the gift of quiet,
the act of slowing down as much as I could,
putting the computer aside,

I cut out as much as I could

and concentrated on living more simply.
I am restored and life is still full.

What I did miss was writing on my blog,
sharing my thoughts and life moments,
my artistic adventures ...
it is good to be home again,
it just feels right.
I've learned so much blogging ...
I have gone back to my beginning posts
and read all the way through,
WOW I have written and experienced so much.
Thanks for being here with me my friend
Donna Lee

to the cards over and over again
that I have created.
For each one carries significant meaning to me.

Each representing a certain time in my life.

Months went by and I

hadn't visited my Soul Collage practice.
I had been very busy preparing
for my Mandala workshop for Artful Spirit,
and teaching lots of Zentangle classes.
I noticed with the dates on my cards,
a span of time had passed since I had worked on a card.I had wondered why I hadn't createda card in such a long time,I had missed them . . .

until I was able to share the process

with my sister,

it was her very first time with this magical experience!
We spent a sister morning together and I shared my entire
process of creating a card with her.

She learned so much,

enjoyed collecting images

and creating her very first card,

she is now hooked!

I created the card above with her that morning.

I just finished collaging a wooden box,

where I am going to keep my precious cards

that I have created ...

It's kinda special to me!

Can you see the little girl (Donna Lee)

peeking through the window?

The little caption reads

"Once Upon a Time"

it was just perfect for my box.

Soul Collage speaks to your heart,

it helps you to think intuitively,

sends comforting messages

and helps you to sort out personal feelings.

I am grateful for having discovered

this beautiful art form.

Give it a try, you will absolutely

fall in love with

the meditative and soul searching

process of it all.

Images carry many meanings,

no words are ever needed,

it is unlike any other art form

I have jumped into.

This is my latest card,
I have been having a squirrel keep
coming into my life (and my home)I figured he has a message for me to learn!

I created this card as a reminder ...

"Lessons Learned From My Squirrel"

Be Well

Be Happy

Think of Others

Live Creatively!

Donna Lee

(disclaimer ... the images I have used are for my personal use only .. not for sale or trade, I am grateful for them)

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Well this is my last day of being 56 years young!
I decided to create something as a keepsake in my journal.

I kinda love it don't you?????
Art journaling is a wonderful expression of self,
my journal pages are growing,
each and every entry means more to me
than the previous one.
Within the pages I am free to express myself,
try out new ideas,
play with paints and inks and all kinds of art supplies!
How I love returning to my journals
and looking at all I had created over the
past few months,
it gives me such joy!

This past year, my 56th year of life
has been full of wonder and joy!
I am so proud of where I have been
and totally happy with where I am now!

I have lost 40lbs!!!
A goal I set for myself as a birthday gift,
it was hard work, but I made it!!!
I totally love the Isagenix program - it changed my life!
I have enjoyed every minute of being a grand mommy
and eagerly anticipate the birth of my second grandchild in October,
(a baby boy for my other son Drew and his wife.)
I have strengthened my yoga practice,
Taken The Conscious Booksmith e-course
and started my book
"A Journey through Dementia",
I have taught all kinds of Zentangle Classes,
and Artful Spirit Workshops,
participated in many open mic Poetry readings,
continued to teach creative writing to my senior adults,
had an incredible eight days in the Outer Banks
with my precious little family,
celebrated 37 years of marriage with my Jimmy,
knit some wonderful lace pieces,
painted some original paintings,
traveled to New York City all by myself,
and so much more!

So for this girl who is turning 57 tomorrow,
born in the year 1957,
I eagerly await what the next year has in store!
I am sure there will be more art, more creating,
more photography and certainly more writing.
Each year is an opportunity to grow,
to learn, and experience new things.
I am open to a world of new possibilities.

Have a beautiful week
and thanks for visiting my little blog today,
be blessed
be happy
be creative
be in love with your precious life!

I entitled this blog post Tangled Visions,
because I am beginning to see my world even more closely,
observing opportunity and learning new lessons
always open hearted and wide eyed. . .(in fact I am considering changing the name of my blog!)
What I see ...

Life isn't always as easy as we want it to be
We must listen to our inner voice
We must recognize new opportunities as they come along
At times we have to step away from what is
Everyday is different
Loving others truly matters
You must trust the process ... whatever it is
Slowing ourselves down is crucial
Living simply and without want is true living

The heart always knows the way
Taking care of self is crucial
This life of ours is truly a gift

(My happy daughter-n-law Lauren)
We used 8 x 10 art boards,
already spray painted with stencils,
then each attendee picked the one they wanted,
and created fun backgrounds with
all kinds of colors and textures.
After drying, they then drew their own
mandala designs over the painted surface,
each one was beautiful and had their own style!
I was so proud of them!
So much talent and exploration in one room.

(Love the colors and designs happening here!)

(Mother and Daughter creating together ... LOVE!)

Another completed work

Taking a quick pic of her beautiful piece
I have saved the best for last ...
our community mandala.
Each attendee was given
"a slice of the mandala"
to work on throughout the day,
we then brought them together
and Suzan mounted our pieces into a whole,
when we gathered and saw the finished product,
I think it truly took our breath away.

Created by one of my Zentangle students ... can you tell???

Our finished group mandala ... totally took my breath away!
We talked about community and coming together,
living with an artful spirit
and the joy of creating
of course we had to take our signature group picture
with our toes around the mandala
(cause not everyone is comfortable taking a pic)
it's become An Artful Spirit tradition!

We then surprised our attendees with a drawing,
and one lucky girl
Susan Pease
was our winner.
The joy is always in the giving!

It was an amazing day,
a creative boost,
a time of love and fellowship
and as always
I can 't wait for our next one!

We meet quarterly,
Our next gathering of creative spirits
will be Saturday, November 1
and the theme will be
Artful Spirit Collage
(aka Soul Collage Techniques)